Numerical modeling and analysis technology is an important tool in the design and verification of many engineered structures and the structural components of which they are composed. One common computer-based numerical modeling and analysis technique is finite element modeling and analysis. In accordance with various numerical modeling analysis techniques, numerical models may define a working environment in terms of geometry, elements, properties, loads, constraints and the like, and can thus be solved and analyzed to determine structural integrity of an engineered structure within that working environment, for example. Through numerical modeling and analysis and in particular finite element analysis, it may be possible to break a complex system down into a manageable (finite) number of elements (e.g., a curve drawn as a series of steps). These numerical models and their analysis may be used for several purposes, such as to help determine the behavior of a new airplane product design under various load environments.
A finite element model (e.g., finite element mesh) of a structural product can be generated directly from a Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the product. Additionally or alternatively, inertial properties and/or geometric details of a structural product such as area, moment of inertia, centroid and the like can be identified for analysis by importing portions of a corresponding solid model into the finite element model. However, for a number of products (of similar nature), extracting information from the solid model and further building and analyzing the finite element model therefrom can be unduly complex and require excessive computing resources. In some instances, manual techniques such as identifying geometry for extraction are also necessary, but manual techniques often require an excessive amount of time.
Therefore, it may be desirable to have a system and method that take into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.